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March 24, 2009

RHUBARB PRESERVES

RHUBARB MADNESSForget about March madness I have been afflicted with Rhubarb Madness. I ordered 15 lbs. from my grocer last week and have done little else but put up rhubarb.The first batch went in the trash; (or to my friends with way sick sweet tooth’s) too much sugar. Most recipes call for an almost equal rhubarb to sugar ratio. Yuk, my teeth hurt even thinking about it, and what’s rhubarb without a bit of pucker? I reduced and reduced till I came up with a fruit/sugar ratio of about half of that. Use a candy thermometer with this recipe. Since there is not much pectin in rhubarb, you must reach the soft gel point. Once you have added the rhubarb, keep an eye on it. You barely want cook it or it will disintegrate and you will have a bit of a mush, which will taste fabulous but wont be quite as stunningI used hothouse rhubarb which I think has more water in it and is not quite as tart as the wild variety.The Rhubarb Rosemary is crazy good.It was a huge hit with the grown ups. The rosemary enhances the wonderfully weird flavor of rhubarb. This jam is an excellent savory condiment, perfect on a cheese plate and delicious with spring lamb. Try it with duck or foisgras, or there's always toast. I know this sounds bizzaro but I mixed some with mustard and served it with my Easter Lamb, very, very yummy

RHUBARB PRESERVES

(master recipe)

INGREDIENTS

8 cups cut rhubarb (about 2 ½ -3 lbs)4 cups sugar1 lemon juiced

METHOD

1. Wash and trim rhubarb and cut into 1” pieces. Place in a non reactive bowl with sugar and lemon juice and macerate over night or until sugar is dissolved.2. Strain the syrup into a preserving pan and bring to a boil. Skim. Continue boiling and skimming till you reach the gel point, 221 on a candy thermometer.3. Add the rhubarb and return to a boil. Skim. Continue cooking for 3-5 minutes, stirring, careful to maintain the integrity of the fruit. 4. Place jam in hot sterilized jars, seal and label.

Makes 12 ½ pint jars

RHUBARB ROSEMARY PRESERVES

INGREDIENTS

1 2” piece of ginger sliced into coins12 springs rosemary washed

METHOD

Follow directions for master recipe above.

2. Place 4 sprigs rosemary and sliced ginger in preserving pan with rhubarb syrup. You can put them in cheesecloth or an infuser for easy removal.

3. Remove rosemary and ginger when cooking is completed.

4. Place a 3” sprig of rosemary in each jar before adding hot preserves.

NOTE: For an even more savory flavor try 2 sprigs rosemary in a few of the jars.

This is the $50,000 question. I have been remiss in doing a post about this sticky topic. First off, because it's the proper thing to do, I am going to refer you the USDA site on canning, which has the official recommendations for safe canning methods www.foodsafety.psu.edu/canningguide.html

I grew up canning with my mother and my grandmother. The general rule of thumb was hot water baths were for reserved for tomatoes, vegetables,anything pickled and canned fruits. We did not process jams and jellies, the theory being that the sugar in them acted as a natural preservative. The USDA now recommends processing for everything.

For small batches(4-5 jars) I use the inversion method, where you turn hot sterilized jars filled with hot preserves, upside down immediatly after filling. This produces a vacum effect that prevents spoiling. Turn jars upright after five minutes. Cool for 24 hours and check seals.You should be able to remove the ring-band and have the lid firmly secured to the jar,in fact you should be able to lift the jar by the lid. If you don't have a proper seal stick it in the fridge.

For larger batches, where it is harder to control the heat of the product going into the jars, I use a hot water bath.That said , a hot water bath is NO BIG DEAL! All you need is a pasta pot , a steamer that fits in it,some water and a lid.And don't forget common sense, you need that.If anything, ever looks weird or bubbly or brown...toss it. I appologize for the long winded respose and I hope I didn't make any of this sound more complex than it is. Please email me with any other questions.

I'm really excited to try this - I've just started the recipe and am making a smaller batch with 1 bunch of rhubarb (about 2.5 cups), 1.25 c sugar, and half of a small lemon. Will the sugar really dissolve into a syrup with so little liquid? Right now it's just a crunchy/sandy mixture . . .

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About Me

I am not a professional cook; I am simply preoccupied with food. My last food obsession was with duck fat,for health reasons I have moved on.
I come from a long line of yankee women; my grandmother, mother, sisters and I, we all put up.
In the real world I am a fashion stylist, hence my obsession with jars and labels.
Canning is couture.
I live in Los Angeles with my dog, my daughter and lots of fruit.
nina@putsup.com